Agenda item

·         Tourism and brown signage

·         Advertising and marketing

Following the Business Breakfast meeting held in May and discussed at the last meeting, we continued to review of the issues identified.  Fiona Wilton from Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association was welcomed to the meeting.  The issues raised at the Business Breakfast were discussed, as follows:

·         Superfast Broadband: The strong discussion on provision of Superfast Broadband throughout the county was welcomed.  It was commented that action needs to be taken to support small tourism businesses that rely on digital marketing and have been constrained through lack of service.

·         Business Engagement: The remit, structure of and area covered by the Association was explained. Members were informed that there are currently 300-400 members.  The Association is very keen to engage with Monmouthshire.  It was explained that the Association has an effective website which covers the three counties (Monmouthshire (as far as Abergavenny), Herefordshire and Gloucestershire) and commented that co-ordination and collaboration was welcomed with other digital platforms to maximise opportunities for PR, marketing and social media.

·         Members’ Only website:  The Members’ Only website provides resources for businesses and it was confirmed that Monmouthshire’s information and events could be added to the resource.

·         Policy: The need to ensure coordination of policy and strategic organisation was highlighted.  It was commenting that the Association has a Destinations Strategy and is in consultation with the Head of Tourism in this respect. 

·         Business awareness: It was confirmed that many businesses work successfully in geographical cluster areas as this is the way visitors see the area.

·         Communication: The Association is addressing lack of communication with small business members.  It was explained that well-attended meetings have been held.

·         Tourist Information Centres (TIC): It was advocated that TICs should be kept open as far as possible. Members were informed that, although Forest of Dean District Council closed TICs, Coleford Town Council has successfully opened one staffed by volunteers. 

The Officer conveyed the willingness of MCC to engage with the work of the Association, especially actions that require no additional workload as capacity is limited.  It was agreed that online content can be shared on a reciprocal basis, as happens with the other tourism associations operating in the area.  It was recognised that some businesses may not be advertised on the website but are encouraged to submit their details for inclusion. The Officer welcomed opportunities for closer working together.  It was noted, however, that funding received from Welsh Government is for Welsh businesses only, and that projects may not always align in this respect.

Members’ Scrutiny

The Chair questioned plans to ensure engagement with the wider tourism community.  The Officer advised that funding has been secured from Welsh Government to review the Destinations Plan that ended in 2015 and to review the partnership arrangements that underpin it.  All stakeholders, including the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association, will be consulted.

A Member challenged the Council’s approach to local tourism and identified the need to understand the impact on the local economy and it was commented that every avenue should be explored to maximise opportunities for revenue from tourism.

The Chief Officer for Enterprise responded that the economic value of tourism is understood adding that the Council has invested in events and attractions. It was added that Members were reminded that there had been a 15% budget reduction which has affected the Council’s ability to operate and fund TICs but an innovative model could be explored. The importance of a joined up approach was also emphasised.

A Member reflected on the positive value of the Business Breakfasts and encouraged further engagement opportunities with small businesses and local business organisations.  The Officer reported that a Visit Monmouthshire event is held annually which is well attended, in addition to many other meetings, exhibitions etc.  A Member commented that more businesses should have attended the event and queried the contact database.

A Member questioned the business model of the TIC in Coleford ad it was clarified that Coleford Town Council provides the premises and pays the overheads, it is staffed by volunteers and was set up with volunteer expertise.  The Member suggested that the same model could be applied to provide a TIC in Chepstow in collaboration with local business organisations.  It was concluded that the model suggested was worth further analysis.  The Officer advised that a lot of volunteers were utilised already and provided the example of Abergavenny’s successful TIC established in partnership with Abergavenny Town Council, Tythe Barn and St Mary’s Priory Trust and the Abergavenny and District Tourist Association.  It was added that a RDP Feasibility study has been commissioned to consider the development of sustainable visitor information for Monmouthshire and Newport.  The importance of TICs was recognised and suggested that costs need to be shared fairly with those who benefit.  It was commented that the entire community benefits.

A Member queried the footfall through the new TIC in Abergavenny compared with the old premises.  The officer agreed to provide the requested information at the next meeting. 

In response to a question, the Officer confirmed that the Council contribute funds to the Abergavenny TIC, small businesses in the town also contribute and that Brecon Beacons National Parks Authority contribute administrative support. Responding to a further query, the Officer confirmed that some St. Mary’s Church guides provide assistance and have completed the Ambassador training.  The Officer also agreed to bring details of any drop in income to the next meeting.

Members requested clarification regarding signs to TICs in various locations and were advised by the Head of Operations that, as a result of the Car Park review, some funding was allocated to improve signage.  Work will be undertaken with businesses to explore improvements to make signage more up to date.

The Chair queried the team’s approach to policy on advertising and was informed by the Head of Operations that the policy had been imaginatively interpreted to offer signage opportunities to businesses.  There is greater commitment to creating income through advertising whilst promoting businesses through brown signage. The policy will be reviewed to reflect the funding available. 

The Chair questioned timescales and the Head of Operations agreed to bring a timetable to a future meeting.  This will be added to the work plan and updates requested accordingly.

Members expressed some concern that signage and policy should have been reviewed earlier for the convenience of this summer’s visitors   The Officer reported that a large amount of work had been carried out, as part of the last RDP programme, to audit and review pedestrian and highways signage across eleven settlements in the county.  Money had been secured to implement some of the review recommendations. Further funding is required to implement the remaining recommendations.

 .  This included consultation with communities and resulted in e.g. new town entry signage including reference to attractions.  It was added that signage becomes out of date relatively quickly and that it remains in good condition compared with other areas.  The Officer explained that avenues for funding are always being sought and there is a constant drive for improvement.

A Member commented that grants had previously been forthcoming from Welsh Government and questioned how such funding is distributed across Monmouthshire. The Officer confirmed that support was available from the RDP Project where funding was awarded against criteria but this is not now available.  It was added that the cost is passed on to the business being promoted with a small administration charge.

A Member questioned if town attractions could be highlighted on the town maps printed by Chambers of Commerce to help visitors.  The Officer responded that most town maps have been reviewed and include emphasis on key attractions – write to chamber of commerce in this request.  The Chair requested that the Chambers of Commerce are written to drawing their attention to this point.  A Member advised that Abergavenny Town Council has printed 100,000 maps for issue to visitors to the Eisteddfod.  The Officer asked for a PDF version to forward to the National Eisteddfod organisers for inclusion in their distribution lists for visitors who are camping and caravanning.

The Chair requested that the STEAM (Scarborough Tourism and Economic Assessment Model) statistics are presented at the next meeting.

In response to a question about holding further Business Breakfasts, The Head of Economy and Enterprise, informed Members that the database contains over 2300 entries split into sectors and added that there are a plethora of networking activities for businesses and Members are able to attend these events.  Dates are available on the Enterprise section of the website.  It was added that due to constrained resources, there is no capacity to organise business breakfasts otherwise.